Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has launched Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, joining ranks as one of Africa’s first countries to evolve to LTE, a technology that allows the fastest mobile Internet speeds possible on a cell phone, which is still not available in most European and Asian countries.

Econet Zimbabwe’s LTE will go live in Victoria Falls August 24 then spread to major cities including Harare. Other countries in Africa with 4G LTE include South Africa, Ghana, Uganda,  Angola, Namibia, Mauritius and Tanzania.

Speaking during the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Econet Wireless CEO Mr Douglas Mboweni said the LTE  launch was an opportunity to show that Zimbabwe “is not dead and buried; we are very much alive, and we have kept pace with developments in the world.”According to Mr Mboweni, his group of companies Liquid Telecom and ZOL, among others have invested heavily in ensuring that telecommunications services in the country’s major cities are world-class.

“Our network is used almost exclusively by the business community in Zimbabwe and we have a duty to ensure that they have the most advanced services available,” said Mr Mboweni.

Econet Wireless added that it was one of the first operators in Africa to launch 3G before countries like India and Nigeria and as a result, Zimbabwe has the highest percentage of Internet access by cell phone in the world, at just over 58% of all Internet users in the country.

Zimbabwe will Thursday inaugurate 89-year-old Robert Mugabe after Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku declared the July 31 elections were “free, fair and credible.”  and declared Mugabe duly elected president.